chapter 16
016 – Tournament(3)
Tigris has won all three qualifying matches since then.
There was no duel that lasted more than 30 minutes like Tom did.
It was finished with a single blow or the opponent surrendered.
‘I wanted to see Gordon’s sword. Sorry.’
Gordon Daker was a very famous figure among mercenaries.
He was a mercenary belonging to the Violet Mercenary Corps and had been a war mercenary for 13 years.
Gordon’s nickname is the Night Killer.
It was a nickname that came from the fact that he had never lost a one-on-one fight with a knight during the war.
As a result, all the opponents facing Gordon threw towels without looking at them.
If you fight a mercenary with four rings and your sword breaks or even hurts you, it was because it was a huge loss.
It seemed that Gordon’s swordsmanship skills could only be seen in the finals.
Tigris, who returned to the penthouse leaving only regrets, was met with a strange thing.
“Hey, aren’t you hitting your head right there? Where are you going to get the trick?”
Jane was screaming as she lay down ceramics, cups, bowls and slippers on the living room floor.
Jane said looking at Tigris.
“I’m here?”
Judging from the expression on his face, it was like that of a wretched Horn who was rolling the Black Wolf Knights.
“What is the situation now?”
“Ah~ I was looking for ghosts hiding in this building and educating them.”
Jane pointed again into the air.
“Where do you turn your eyes? Are you just happy with me?”
As Jane kicked into the air, the pottery trembled and fell.
“Place it!”
Then the pottery was erected again.
I don’t know what it is, but it seems that ghosts are really possessed by those things.
Jane looked down at the objects, or even the ghosts, with gloomy eyes.
“I think I ate very well and lived well here. Are your faces shiny? Until now, we had a good time with the department store people, surprising Lenny.”
Objects moved violently from side to side.
“You lied again. You’ve grown your spiritual powers by surprising people. who started first did you start first? Bill?”
The pottery shook her head as she trembled.
“Then are you? Leiana?”
The flowers in the flowerpot swayed gently.
“her! Do you see Tigris flirting with you? You are very…”
“stop.”
Tigris had no intention of watching any more of this ridiculous skit.
“Beside that, where is Lenny?”
Jane scratched her head and said.
“Ah… that’s it.”
Jane glanced at the sofa.
Lenny was curled up on the sofa and fell asleep.
As soon as I noticed to explain what was going on, Jane scratched her cheek.
“I didn’t know that Lenny could be so afraid of ghosts… They were floating around, so Lenny just passed out.”
Lenny was not immune to ghosts yet.
Jane still saw me for a few weeks, and it was okay because she was the guardian spirit of a good impression.
However, sudden movement of objects, such as the poltergeist phenomenon, was no different to Lenny’s rodent poison.
“So what will the demons do?”
Jane said with a grim expression.
“Well, are you going to just bury it? I heard that even when Lenny was cleaning by herself, she secretly moved things or went into the mirror and played pranks, but as Lenny’s guardian spirit, I can’t look after her.”
“What happens if you break the possessed object?”
“Well, is it like wandering around looking for old things to possess? But the old ones will be hard to find because all the new buildings around here are full of new things.”
“Then you better destroy it.”
As Tigris placed his hand on his sword and moved his feet in strides, things trembled like aspen trees.
It was like begging for help.
“Come on, wait a minute.”
Jane hastily stopped Tigris.
“Why?”
“Come here.”
Jane moved to a corner where they couldn’t hear them, and whispered.
“Those… these guys are joking around, but they aren’t the ones with a bad temper. I had no choice but to attract people’s attention just to live. This is not a land with a lot of spiritual power like the Forest of Mist, so it needs attention from people to maintain it.”
“Then are you going to keep knocking Lenny out?”
“…it’s not that, but I can manage it well. And how nice it is to have them!”
“What is good?”
“We can check to see if there are any people who entered the department store with bad intentions, and if there is a problem with the facility, we can notify you right away. Besides, they don’t even sleep, so they can only work for 24 hours.”
“Hmm···.”
In the future, Tigris will kill Lota and Arphem’s clan.
Of course, Rota and Arfem, who do not follow moral ethics, will mobilize various methods to kill Tigris, and Lenny and the people of this building will be in great danger.
However, if the Ghosts, who are invisible to Tigris’ eyes, detect enemies trying to sneak into the building in advance, they will be able to respond quickly to dangerous situations.
‘And you can monitor Baiton.’
Except for business trips, Baiton works at ‘The Norverd’ right downstairs.
You could hear him right through Jane when he was doing weird things.
‘Not bad.’
Tigris put his hand on the hilt of the sword.
“Take care so that Lenny doesn’t faint again.”
“Leave it to me! I’ll take good care of it. ah! Shall I wake up Lenny?”
“no. It is now.”
If you wake up now, you’ll be stunned by the things that move on their own.
Jane said with a soft smile.
“You seem to love Lenny very much, don’t you? Well, Lenny is cute. After a few more years, when I become a mature lady…”
“Stop chattering and get rid of these things.”
“Yep! Confucius!”
Jane saluted funnyly, then immediately gave orders to the demons standing in a line.
“Okay, have you all heard? Why don’t we have fun in a place other than the living room?”
Plants, pottery, slippers, etc. started to fly into the air and move to another room.
Dung- Dung-
It looked very weak.
Tigris let out a small sigh.
‘Lenny must suffer a lot for the time being.’
* * *
Finals day has arrived.
The huge gladiatorial arena, which can accommodate 40,000 people at the same time, was full two hours before the start of the match.
Some came to watch the tournament, but also stood to see His Majesty’s long life.
The hands of the street vendors selling food while roaming among the crowds were busy, and fist fights occurred while arguing over who would win.
On the other hand, there was a room where there was no sound at all.
Luxurious waiting room reserved exclusively for VVIPs.
Only the sigh of a woman echoed in the high-end waiting room reserved only for the royal family, the duke, and the marquis.
“Bergan. Why am I here?”
Berggan, who is the current Black Meister and stood guard at the entrance of the VVIP waiting room, opened his mouth.
“Because there was an order from His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Then why am I wearing this cumbersome outfit?”
“It is to highlight the beautiful beauty of the princess.”
The princess said while making fun of the fountain pen.
“Then why are you getting makeup while doing an assignment that you have to submit tomorrow?”
“It’s because Princess Rain Rover forgot the schedule.”
“Damn it!”
I was writing in haste, and the ink from the fountain pen spattered on my finger.
Rain Rover nervously threw the pen and paper onto the dressing table.
Then he turned his head and looked at Bergang.
“It’s not that I’m very busy. Berg. Not only is she a former princess, but she is also the head of the summoning magic club, a student at the Imperial University, and a summoning wizard. And I’m also a pitiful wizard who takes classes from Professor Bertrand, who bombs me with damn assignments every week.”
“You seem very busy.”
“Then you don’t have to look at me! Damn Grandpa Tang! Why on earth do you have to participate in the Sweaty Young Blood Tournament?! I’m too busy doing my homework!”
“I think it’s wrong to call your Majesty the Emperor Hal-Bum-Tang.”
“Then, just think about it.”
“yes. Okay. majesty.”
The emperor was far and the princess was near.
It was familiar to Bergang for the princess to be hysterical.
He knew very well that not only the princess but also most of the wizards can become so violent when things go wrong.
In this case, it’s better to just keep quiet.
The princess said as she wiped the ink herself with the handkerchief that the maid brought.
“So who do you think will win this tournament, Berggan?”
“Winning is always difficult to predict. majesty.”
“I’ve seen everyone go out for a while to buy gambling tickets. Before you talk to Rachel, tell me.”
“greatness!”
Bergang said while looking at the green eyes of the princess reflected in the mirror.
“I think Gordon Daker will win.”
“Is it obvious too? The fact that a mercenary has four rings makes no sense.”
The difference between 3 and 4 rings is stark.
Aurors can be loaded into weapons starting from 4 pieces.
When an auror is applied to a weapon, not only the durability of the weapon but also the cutting power increases exponentially.
If it collides with a normal steel sword and a weapon with an Auror, it will be cut as it is.
Therefore, it is treated as a tactical weapon from the time of completing the 4 rings, and the rank of the knights also changed depending on the total number of knights with 4 rings or more.
“Why hasn’t Gordon taken the knight exam yet?”
“I am also a commoner, and there may be some that I would like to receive from His Majesty the Emperor to be the first knight.”
“Well, that’s why I came to this tournament.”
If you win 1st place, you get a wish ticket, but the use of the wish ticket has already been decided.
To become a knight of His Majesty the Emperor.
Because of the unspoken rules of the tournament, Gordon will probably ask you to become His Majesty’s knight.
“But things can happen.”
“Is it unusual?”
“There is a genius Tigris di Norberd who completed three rings at the age of 19.”
The princess nodded as if she knew.
“I know. The unlucky genius swordsman. Did Tchrist appear in this tournament?”
“yes. That’s right. Looking at the bracket, I thought we were going to face Gordon in the final.”
“Don’t you think Tigris will be eliminated along the way?”
Berghan shook his head.
“I don’t think so at all.”
“Is it because it has three rings?”
“It’s not just that. The swordsmanship of Tigris I saw last year has already surpassed that of a student at the Imperial University.”
At Bergang’s words, the princess raised her eyebrows as if slightly startled.
This was because Bergan had rarely given a generous score in the evaluation of his swordsmanship skills.
“It makes me wonder how great a person Bergan is to say that. Then, shouldn’t Tigris bet on winning?”
“But there is a difference in experience. Gordon has been a war mercenary since the age of 16 and continued to search the battlefield until the age of 29. Even during the last two years when the war ended, I’ve been through battles between monsters. Even though Tigris is a genius, the 13-year gap will be hard to close.”
The princess wiped off all the ink and handed the handkerchief to the maid.
“Hmm, right? So shall we bet? Who will win?”
“What bet are you talking about?”
“The loser grants his wish.”
Bergan was disgusted.
“Are you going to tell me to go into the beautic jungle and capture the giant turtle like last time?”
“The giant turtle has already been tamed by me. How cute he is when he yawns leisurely. Shall I take it out now and show you?”
“If I take it out now, this place will be a mess. Please refrain.”
The princess smiled and said.
“Nothing else, I heard that the sand fox in the Godiva Desert is so cute. I want to tame it!”
“…the sand fox is very difficult to catch. It’s not easy because he’s very sharp and that little guy can even do magic.”
“It’s not easy, but there’s nothing that can’t be done.”
Bergan sighed and said.
“···good. Then I will play with Noah all weekend next week.”
“all weekend?! I’m a student with the final exam coming up soon, right?”
“Recently, Noah has been whining. I keep saying that I want to see the princess every night.”
Noah is Berggan’s youngest five-year-old daughter.
The problem was that he inherited Bergang’s tremendous stamina, so even if he played from morning to evening, he did not get tired, but rather asked to play more.
“I recently bought Noah a soldier toy set. You can look forward to it.”
“Oh my gosh! Soldier play toys have crossed the line!”
“It will be a very good time. I became the Demon King 24 times and the Evil Dragon 10 times. You will probably become an evil warlock for the princess.”
“shit! I must win this bet.”
The princess said while looking at the smiling Bergang.
“Then Bergan is betting on Tigris, right?”
“Don’t be fooled. Princess. I called Gordon first.”
“Do you want me to bet on Gordon too?”
“Then why don’t you buy a gambling ticket first?”
“This damn thing. If you give me another bomb assignment next week, I’ll turn Professor Bertrand’s lab into a giant turtle’s bathroom.”
Then the door to the VVIP room opened.
“Princess Rain Rover. The tournament will start soon.”
“Okay. I’ll be going soon. Has the Emperor not come yet?”
“The meeting this morning was getting long, so he told me to start first.”
Rain Rover wrinkled his face.
“Damn you bastard. You called me knowing this.”
Participating as a proxy has become a daily routine.
Later, he will only show his face when the finals start.
Rain Rover calmed down and practiced smiling while looking in the mirror.
Still, a princess is a princess.
They are the idol of all people and the imperial family who should be the pillars of the people.
Although he had seen his easygoing personality, he knew very well that it was important to show a dignified and reliable figure that was commensurate with such an official event.
Because that is the price of all the comfort and luxury that the princess enjoys.
As the stiff facial muscles loosened, the princess got up.
The appearance of the kiang that had just uttered harsh words has disappeared, and the elegant princess stood there.
Berggan thought to himself that there was a fox here, without needing to find another fox.
“Then let’s go. Bergan.”
Berggan escorted Princess Rain Rover and said.
“yes. Okay. majesty.”
When the princess appeared, cheers resounded from the audience, and the match began.
* * *
Tigris took his sword and went out to the arena.
The opponent was Sir Doria, a three-star knight and 28-year-old deputy commander of the Red Rose Knights.
There was no particular person in Tigris’ memory.
The two stood at an appropriate distance.
Sir Doria said with a smile.
“I heard rumors that you have become a three-star knight, but I think you came out too early. Do you think you could have come out in 8 years?”
Doria was sure she would win.
Doria was a knight from the West who had been through many wars.
In addition, Doria was famous for biting opponents’ weaknesses so well that it was nicknamed ‘red hyena’ in the West.
If there was even the slightest gap, Doria would bite like a hyena tenaciously.
“You seem to have been pretty lucky so far, but that’s it.”
Doria lowered herself and prepared to charge.
Tigris stood still without drawing his sword.
The referee raised his hand.
“Let’s start the moment the coin runs out. Ready.”
Tigris still didn’t draw his sword and just stood still.
‘Are you going to do foot surgery?’
Doria snorted.
Footprinting was fast, but had a fatal flaw.
That the sword had been set.
As long as there is a sword in the scabbard, attacks can only come from left to right, so it was easy to destroy it if you were careful about it.
‘When the sword comes in, block it, follow the blade and then hit the body in the myeongchi. The moment you stumble in order not to fall or fall, it ends right away with the continuous stabbing.’
After the simulation was drawn, Doria began warming up the Auror rings.
Ting-!
The referee’s coin soared into the sky and fell to the floor.
Tung!
The dust spurted out with a heavy sound.
Doria stood before Tigris with just one leap.
However, Tigris did not even move at all.
‘Isn’t this just enough?’
His skills are so horrendous that he can’t even read his own movements.
I thought that the three rings might be a lie.
‘Nakseung.’
Doria drew her sword.
An honest attack that cuts from the bottom right to the top left.
The target was the red mark on Tigris’ chest.
If you hit that, you win.
‘Well, you may be slightly hurt.’
Doria thrust her sword a little deeper.
However, there was one fact that Doria overlooked.
Tigris’ eyes followed Doria’s sword until the end.
Hung!
Doria raised her sword and struck.
But there was no sense of cutting anything.
It was because Tigris had completely avoided it by taking a step back.
Doria’s body is completely open.
Tigris’ right hand moved, and blood lines were drawn on Doria’s chest.
“Gagging!”
Doria dropped her sword.
Tigris wiped the blood off the sword and put it into the sheath.
“Let’s show causality.”
It was a victory for Tigris.
The result of the duel that ended in less than a second left the audience as well as the referee bruised.
“S… Winner! Tigris di Norverd!”